


Let's Do This

by firstdegreefangirl



Series: Let's Do This [1]
Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, M/M, Making Out, Multi, Mutual Pining, Pining, Polyamory, Swearing, but that's the basic premise, it clears up pretty fast?, jared kleinman: serial texter, kind of?, why do I like hurting my babies?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-09 01:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11659122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstdegreefangirl/pseuds/firstdegreefangirl
Summary: When Connor needs a fake boyfriend because Reasons, Evan pushes Jared into it, then regrets his decision when they start dating.They settle their differences.





	1. Connor Needs Evan (and a date)

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo ... this was going to be like 3,000 words. Then the storyline got away from me, and the whole thing came in at just under 7,000. Look for updates every day or two, but the whole thing is written now. And it's already become it's own 'verse, so that'll be next.
> 
> The entire thing took shape over three days, and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. It's informally beta'ed, but I take credit for any mistakes and would love for ya'll to point them out for correction.
> 
> Enjoy!

“EVAN!” Connor drops his bag by his best friend’s front door. “I need you!” 

Evan’s in the kitchen, spreading apple slices like flower petals around peanut butter for an after-school snack. He grins when he hears Connor say he’s needed, but quickly swallows it back down because he is _not_ dealing with those feelings. Not today, and probably not even this month. 

“In the kitchen!” Evan calls back, turning around just as Connor comes into the kitchen. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell in your face. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Evan. But anyway, I need you.” There’s that fluttery feeling again.

“Uh—what’s- what’s up?”

“I need a boyfriend.”

“W-wh-what?” Evan turns his back to Connor, making sure to get every speck of peanut butter off the spoon as he washes it. He knows he heard Connor correctly, but doesn’t want to show his hand just yet, in case he misunderstood.

“I need a boyfriend. I’ve told my family I’m gay, which they took to mean that I have a boyfriend. Now I have to go to a family picnic next weekend and they’re expecting me to show up with someone. I need a boyfriend.”

“Oh … um … what were … Connor?”

“Evan. Come with me to the family picnic and pretend to be my boyfriend.”

Well. Evan certainly wasn’t expecting this. His mind is going a million miles a minute as he goes over what Connor said again and again in his head.

_Connor needs a boyfriend. Fake boyfriend. Connor wants me to be his boyfriend. Fake boyfriend. He doesn’t actually want to date me, but why would he? He wants me to pretend to be his boyfriend, but he doesn’t want me to be his boyfriend. I should do it. Maybe he’ll fall for me like I—_

Nope. Not having those thoughts.

“Evan?” Connor stares down at him, clearly expecting an answer.

“I can’t! I-ItotallywouldbutIhaveplansthatdayandthey’resuperimportantplansandIcan’tcancelthemorelseI’dtotallypretendtobeyourboyfriend.”

“Evan, you don’t even know what day it is.”

“Ican’t! I’mbusyeveryday!” Evan’s panicking, he knows he’s panicking. But he also knows that he can’t pretend to be Connor’s boyfriend because it would just feel too real. He doesn’t want to ruin their friendship by doing something stupid like kissing Connor in front of his family.

“O-kaaaay … I guess I’ll just ask someone else then.” Connor shrugs, trying to play it off, but his disappointment shows through.

“I think Jared is free though? Like he doesn’t usually have plans on weekends, unless we’re doing something. But I’m busy, like I said, so he probably isn’t doing anything. I can ask him about it if you want.” Evan’s already pulling out his phone to text Jared.

_Connor needs a boyfriend._

**HOLY SHIT.**

**HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT.**

**DID MURPHY ASK YOU OUT?**

**I BET YOU PISSED YOURSELF.**

**PLEASE TELL ME YOU DIDN’T PISS YOURSELF IN FRONT OF HIM.**

_No, he needs a fake boyfriend._

_I need you to do it._

**Why? You’re literally in love with him.**

**This is your CHANCE.**

**Don’t blow this, Hansen.**

**Or do blow it. ;)**

**But I don’t wanna hear about it.**

_I can’t. What if I kiss him or something?_

_I can’t fake date Connor when I want to real date Connor._

**Evan.**

**Have you never seen a romcom?**

**This is how it starts!**

_Jared. Just do me this one favor._

**Fine.**

_Thank god. I’ll tell him._

“Jared says he’s in.”

“Ev, I don’t even know Kleinman that well. How am I supposed to convince people we’re dating?”

“I don’t know, but you’ve got a fake boyfriend now. Jared’s cool, and he’ll play along with just about anything if you can convince him that it’s good for a laugh. Now can you help me with calculus?


	2. Jared Tries Harder Than He Planned

Jared tucks down the collar on his shirt and checks his hair in the mirror again as he hears Connor’s car pull into the driveway.

_Why am I putting so much effort into a fake date? With the guy Evan’s into?_

If Jared were being honest with himself, he’s always found something almost magnetic about Connor’s whole tall, dark and scary vibe. There’s a level of intrigue there, things no one knows about Connor Murphy, that makes Jared want to look closer.

But Jared is very rarely honest with himself, so why start now? He grabs his keys and wallet and is out the door.

“Hey, Murphy. Let’s get this thing over with so I can get out of these damn khakis.” He glances over at the taller man, noticing that he’s traded his signature hoodie for a polo shirt and gray pants.

“Way to pull out all the stops for your boyfriend, Kleinman.” Connor rolls his eyes, tapping out the beat to the rock song playing against the steering wheel.

“Well I am known for my romantic prowess. Just try not to fall in love with me.” _And I’ll try to keep my dick in check, too._

“I promise not to fall for you any harder than I already have.” _Whoops, that was too much information for a first fake-date_. “Which means nothing.” Connor chuckles weakly, but it seems like Jared buys it.

_He said he fell for me and I don’t think he was kidding_. Jared’s spent enough time pretending he wasn’t starting at Connor to know when he’s being sincere, and the first half of his declaration sure seemed honest. 

“Good. Wouldn’t want anything romantic to get in the way of fooling your family. Anything I should know about before we get into this, by the way? Homophobic aunts, creepy cousins? And do we have a backstory?”

“My family’s pretty chill, except that they’re notorious oversharers. Any stories you may hear about me this afternoon stay in the confines of this car, and _nowhere else_. And as far as they know, we’ve been dating for two years. First date, we went to see Inside Out and you cried at the end, then I took you out for ice cream. Yes, it’s serious; no, we don’t know if we’re getting married yet –“ Connor laughs when he sees the look on Jared’s face. “Yes, they’re almost definitely going to ask that. And for our first anniversary, we watched Inside Out again, this time at your place, and you made me chocolate covered cherries.”

“Got it. Children’s movies and romantic crap."

They spend the rest of the car ride laughing about various “dates” they’ve been on, from a petting zoo trip where Jared got attacked by a goose to picnics under the stars. It’s the easiest conversation either of them have ever had, totally at ease with each other.

Jared doesn’t know how it happened, but he never wants it to stop.

Connor just knows that fake dating Jared is probably going to kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thrive off of the validation of others, so comments and kudos make my day!


	3. If You Have to Ask to Kiss Me, You're Doing it Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's where the "fake dating" tag becomes a little fuzzy.

The conversation stays easy when they get to the picnic, save for one awkward moment where Connor asks if he can wrap his arm around Jared’s waist. 

 _God, yes, there’s literally nothing I want more_. “I mean, we are supposed to be dating.”

So Connor pulls Jared close to his side, wrapping two fingers into the belt loop on his pants.

“I like these pants, by the way. Very bland, perfect for meeting my family.”

“The pants might be bland, but what’s inside is steaming hot.” Jared quips, making Connor blush bright red.

“Shut up, Kleinman.”

“You know you love me, _babe_.” He’s teasing when he says it, but there’s something in his expression that makes Connor take it at least a little seriously.

_Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking._

Still, he tugs Jared closer and plants a wet kiss on his cheek.

“I really do.”

Before Jared can remind him that Connor promised not to fall in love with him, an older woman walks over to them, smiling broadly.

“Connor! My, how you’ve grown! And this must be your boyfriend!”

“Hey, Aunt Lydia. Yeah, this is Jared.” Connor smiles proudly and looks toward the shorter man. “Jare, this is my Aunt Lydia. She’s mom’s third youngest sister.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Jared extends his hand, smiling warmly, but plays shy, leaning closer to Connor’s chest. He’s warm, and Jared thinks he might smell aftershave? Lydia shakes his hand and smiles back.

“You too, Jared. Welcome to the family.”

“Oh … um … thanks.” When Aunt Lydia wanders away, Jared turns to face Connor. “She seems nice.”

“I told you, they’re all cool. Just really enthusiastic. I’m surprised she didn’t invite you to Christmas already.”

For the next hour, Connor leads Jared around from one relative to the next, making introductions and flirting shamelessly with his “boyfriend”. When they go get drinks from the cooler, Connor opens Jared’s can before he passes it over. He fills Jared’s plate with only the foods he likes from the buffet line. _Why does he know that Jared likes pasta salad, but not potato?_ They’re constantly connected, holding hands, arms around waists, leaning against torsos.

It’s nice, even if neither of them will admit it.

When it’s time to leave, both boys find themselves a little disappointed that the afternoon is coming to an end. Connor takes the long way home, and he finds himself missing the feeling of Jared’s fingers between his. When he’s not watching the road, Connor watches from the corner of his eye as Jared’s fingers twitch restlessly against his thigh.

“You OK?” Connor glances over when he stops at a red light.

“Peachy. A-OK. Just fine, why wouldn’t I be?” He smiles at Connor, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“I dunno, you just seem … off? More withdrawn than you were this morning?”

“I’m fine. Today was … more fun than I thought it’d be. I-I liked spending time with you. Uh … we could … do it again sometime?”

Connor pulls the car over.

“Jared.”

“If not, it’s OK. I know this was only supposed to be a one-time thing. That’s what we agreed on, and it’s fine. Uh, why’d you pull over? You’re not gonna kill me, right?” Jared laughs nervously.

“I’m not going to kill you. But I’m only going to say this once. If you want to respond, do. If not, don’t. But if you try to make fun of me for this, I don’t think I can handle that, alright, Jared?”

“Connor, what’s going on?”

“I like you, Jared. I know we haven’t spent much time together, except for today, but I like you a lot. And I’d love to do this again, but I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend. Can I—can I take you out to dinner sometime? It doesn’t have to be today, but we’re both dressed up.”

“Connor,” Jared breathes out, carefully considering what he’s just heard. “I-I don’t believe this.”

_He’s into me. He wants to spend more time with me._

“I get it. You think I’m terrifying and who’d want to date a freak like me anyway?” Connor tries to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“No! I mean – no, Connor, I-I like you too. Um … I’d like to go to dinner sometime. Or tonight. Whatever’s good, really. Um … I … yeah.”

“Hey, Kleinman?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I … uh … can I kiss you?” Connor stares at the steering wheel and whispers.

“Connor?”

“Hmm?”

“If you have to ask to kiss me, you’re doing it wrong.” With that, Jared leans across the console and presses his lips to Connor’s.

It’s not bad, as first kisses go. They’re both hesitant at first, and even after they relax it’s still chaste. But somehow that feels appropriate for the two of them. And even more appropriate is when they pull apart and Jared watches Connor fiddle with the rearview mirror.

“So …” Jared is the first to break the silence. “That was nice.”

“Fuck.”

“What? Connor, we haven’t even had a real date yet, don’t you think that’s moving a little too fast?

“That was the best damn kiss I’ve ever had, Jared.” Connor’s fingers come up to rest against his mouth, but Jared doesn’t think he notices. “Fuck, I’m so far gone over you.”

“Good.”

“Good?”

“Then we’re even.” He leans forward and kisses Connor again, this time with more enthusiasm behind it.

Before long, Connor’s polo is tugged loose of his pants and the top half of Jared’s shirt is unbuttoned. Through a silent agreement, they’re not going further than this, but it’s nice to lean into hot bare skin instead of scratchy cotton. After they’ve made out for a few minutes, Connor pulls away reluctantly and groans.

“We should do this … somewhere not the side of the road.”

“Yeah …” Jared leans back, looking thoroughly ravished with messy hair and kiss-bruised lips to top off the half-buttoned shirt. “But didn’t you promise me dinner?”

“I’m not going in anywhere with you when you look like that. That look is for me and me alone. But I think we’ve got frozen pizza at my place.”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you really call it a "fake dating" AU if they're making out on the side of the road? Opinions welcome in the comments!


	4. Evan Falls Harder Than Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan is pining. Hard. And not just for Connor.

Monday afternoon, Connor finds himself standing back in Evan’s kitchen, munching from the bowl of popcorn on the counter between them.

“So, how was the picnic with Jared?”

“Actually, it was really good. I didn’t think of killing him even once.”

“I-I appreciate that. Um … please don’t kill my friends? Notthatyou’renotmyfriend!”

“Evan, it’s fine. I knew what you meant. And I wouldn’t kill Jared now anyway; generally people try not to kill their boyfriends.” Connor claps Evan on the back when he chokes on a bite of popcorn. “Geez, don’t die on me, Hansen. I just promised not to kill Jared, you don’t need to sacrifice yourself.”

“B-boyfriend? I thought that was just for the weekend? To-to impress your family?” Evan’s trying to act like his heart hasn’t just been broken, but he honestly can’t tell how well it sells.

“That was the plan, at first. But we had a really good time and realized that it wasn’t entirely us pretending to like each other. So I asked him to dinner, we made out a little bit, and we’re going out again this weekend.”

“O-oh. Um … good? I-I guess. Uh … it’s good that you’re both happy.”

“Don’t worry, Evan. Nothing’s gonna change for us.” _That’s what I’m afraid of_. “We’ll still hang out after school and on weekend, just like we do now.”

_Well, at least I’ll get something while I watch my best friend date the guy I’m into._

“That’s fine. Um … should we start the physics homework?”

“Sure.”

In between homework problems, Evan texts Jared.

_What the heck, Jared???_

_You know I like Connor_

**IDK.**

**We had a good time at the picnic. Then he pulled over on the way home**

_What like by a cop??_

**No dumbass, like he stopped so we could talk**

**Only we kissed instead**

**And now we’re ???something???**

**IDK**

**But I like whatever it is**

Rationally, Evan knows he should be happy for his friends. It’s great that Jared and Connor can be happy together. But he definitely likes Connor, and Jared’s been in his life as long as he can remember. Who hasn’t had an awkward sexual awakening with fantasies about one of their best friends?

_Besides, this whole thing is my fault. I wouldn’t go to the picnic with Connor and I made Jared go and if they hadn’t gone together then they wouldn’t have kissed and they wouldn’t be dating now and I’d be … exactly where I am now._

“Evan? Are you actually getting anything done?”

“Wha—oh, yeah, I’m just looking up a formula. Um … it’s all good, Connor!”

“Cool. Have you done number five yet? Because I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Oh … yeah … sure.” So Evan scoots to sit closer to Connor, leaning into his shoulder as he points out numbers in the problem and tries not to breathe in Connor’s scent.

It doesn’t work, and he’s left even more miserably happy for Connor than he was before.


	5. In Which Evan Tries Avoidance as a Coping Mechanism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a long chapter, but it needed to be to do what needed done. Things get a little angsty, but stick with me for a few more days and you'll get more of the fluff you came for 
> 
> xoxo

As days pass into weeks and weeks pass into months, Evan finds it harder and harder to hang out with Jared and Connor, even one-on-one. Every time their relationship comes up, he has to fight the knot twisting in his stomach and remind himself to _breathe in, breathe out, breathe in_.

“What do you think I should do for Connor next week? It’s our three-month anniversary.” Jared folds three French fries into his mouth while he waits for Evan to respond.

“I don’t know! Why does it matter what I think? It’s not like you cared enough to NOT date the guy you knew I’m into!”

“Woah, Evan, slow down. It matters what you think because you know Connor almost as well as I do. And yeah, I’m dating him, because guess what? I’m into him too! And I’m not gonna sit and pout just because you don’t have the balls to ask him out! For once in my life I managed to do something that would make me happy, and my best fucking friend can’t even be happy for me!”

“Jared, you _knew_ how I felt! You were the only one who knew how I felt! And you used that against me, then asked me for advice?”

“Excuse me for figuring you’d want to help me because you care about me! Because you care about _Connor_!” Evan’s jaw drops and Jared knows he’s crossed a line. But it’s too late to take it back. “I’m out of here. If you don’t care, I’m going to be with someone who does!” He throws some bills down on the counter and storms out, leaving Evan alone in the booth trying not to cry.

* * *

“Hey, babe.” When Connor opens the door, he greets Jared with a hug and a short kiss. “Everything OK? You look upset.”

“Yeah, I just had a fight with Evan, but it’ll be OK. Or not. Who knows?”

“It’ll work out, I’m sure. You wanna tell me what happened?”

“I really don’t. Sorry.” Jared grimaces as he sits down in the middle of the couch, pulling his knees up to his chest. Connor sits down next to him and wraps his arms awkwardly around his boyfriend.

“That’s fine. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but I’m here to listen anytime.”

“I know,” Jared mutters. And he does; since they started dating, he and Connor have both been party to insomnia and anxiety-driven 3 a.m. phone calls. “It just sucks. Evan and I, we haven’t fought since … since senior year when you …”

“Yeah.” Connor doesn’t need Jared to finish his sentence. He knows what happened senior year. That’s what pushed him and Evan into their friendship (and whatever other feelings came next), and he remembers rubbing the other boy’s back while he cried because his best friend wouldn’t call him back.

But they got through that, and Connor knows they’ll get through this too. Even if he doesn’t know what the problem is.

_What he doesn’t know is if he and Evan will be OK. Now he’s the one leaving voicemails and texting invitations to lunch that go ignored. He remembers how his heart broke for Evan when Jared ditched him, but for some reason this feels 10 times worse. There’s a part of Connor that feels bad for dating Jared when he’s having … whatever these unresolved feelings for Evan are, but he knows exactly how he feels about Jared and this is right where he wants to be._

At some point while Connor was lost in his own thoughts, Jared started crying. When Connor comes out of his head, it’s to the feeling of Jared’s tears soaking through his hoodie.

“Jared, don’t cry, sweetheart. I know it hurts, but don’t cry. Save your tears for when we watch Bridge to Terabithia. This mess with Evan will blow over soon enough, and in the meantime, I’m right here.” He runs a hand up and down Jared’s back, humming softly until his boyfriend falls asleep, exhausted by the stress of his afternoon.

Connor doesn’t let go when Jared falls asleep, but he does use one hand to pick up his phone.

 _If he answers one text from me all month, let it be this one_.

**Evan, I don’t care that you’re ignoring me. Actually, I really do. But that’s not important right now. Jared just showed up crying because you guys had a fight?? What the fuck happened, Hansen?**

The minutes tick by, and Connor swears that it feels like a month before his phone vibrates against the couch cushion.

**_He said stuff, I said stuff, as usual you’re only worried about each other._ **

**Evan, that’s not true. We both care about you, and if you don’t know that, that’s on us.**

**_Funny how you show it by only hanging out with each other_ ** ****

**Because you don’t ever do anything when we invite you places!**

**_Third wheel? No thanks._ **

**It doesn’t have to be like this**

**_How else could it be?_ **

**Idk, but I know we can still be friends.**

**_Can we really?_ **

**I think so. Can we try?**

**_I guess I owe you both that_ **

**You don’t owe us anything, but let’s all get ice cream after school Friday?**

**If you feel like a third wheel, you can leave. No judgment. Promise**

**_OK, fine._ **

With that settled, Connor locks his phone and rests his chin on Jared’s head. 


	6. Eggs and Confessions are Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor makes eggs. Jared makes things awkward.

“Hey, Jared? Can we talk?” Connor stirs the eggs in the skillet and turns to face Jared.

“Wh-why? What’s going on? Connor?”

“Shh, it’s nothing bad, don’t worry. Just … Evan’s really upset and I don’t know why. Has he … has he said anything to you?”

“He … I know why he’s upset. At least I think I might. But he swore me to secrecy years ago, Con. And it’s not my story to tell.”

“That’s fine. I respect that, Jared. But he’s gonna be OK?”

“He should be.”

“He said we don’t care about him anymore.”

“Of course we care about him!” Jared throws his hands up in exasperation. “He’s the one who’s blowing us off all the time!”

“I know that. But I invited him to get ice cream with us Friday night so we can work everything out and get things back to normal.

“Or as close to normal as they were before, at least.”

* * *

“Connor?” Jared leans forward and pauses Netflix before he turns to face Connor on the couch. “We … uh, we can talk about things, right?” 

“Jare, I’ve told you literally everything the last three months. Yeah, we can talk about things.”

“Even … even if it’ll upset you?”

“If, _if_ , it upsets me, then we’ll use our big boy emotions and talk it out. Now Jared, what’s going on?”

“Um … before we hang out with Evan on Friday, there’s something you ah … something you should know.”

“Go on …”

“I-I-IlikeEvan.” Jared spits the phrase out as one word so softly that Connor can’t make it out.

“What was that, hon?”

“I-I … like Evan. I know that makes me a terrible person since I’ve been dating you for three months now, even though I knew I liked Evan. But I like you too. Connor. Really. I don’t know what all this means, but being with you is my favorite thing and so is being with Evan. For the record, I’ve never been anything but faithful, but if you want to break up with me, I’ll … I’ll understand.” Jared looks away from Connor, picking at a stray thread on the blanket covering his legs. “I’m-I’m sorry.”

“Jared. Jared, sweetheart, look at me. Please,” Connor rests a hand on Jared’s knee and rubs his thumb against the seam of his jeans. “Jared, it’s OK. I’m not upset.”

“Re-really? You don’t—you don’t hate me?”

“No, honey. No, I could never hate you.”

“But I like someone else.”

“And you like me too?” When Jared nods, Connor squeezes his knee gently. “Then we’re OK. Hey, I’ll tell you a secret too?”

“What? You have an awful boyfriend who can’t keep it in his pants for his best friend?”

“No, I have a wonderful boyfriend who has so much love in his heart that he has to spread it over two people. Besides, that’s not my secret.”

“What is it?”

“I like Evan too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger. See you tomorrow!


	7. Feelings Make Things Messy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep conversations are had, and decisions are made. Maybe.

“You—you what?” Jared drops a hand unceremoniously on top of Connor’s and twists their fingers together.

“I-I like Evan too. Jared, I’m not gonna break up with you for something I feel too. Uh … he’s-he’s really great, isn’t he?” He smiles gently, but there’s a touch of insecurity.

“Yeah, yeah he is. But,” Jared pulls Connor’s hand up and kisses his palm softly. “So are you. Connor, wh-what does this mean? For, uh … for us?”

“I really don’t know, Jare. You still like me, right?”

“Yes, of course I do.” He leans in and presses his lips to Connor’s. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Do, um … do you still like me?”

“Yeah, I still like you, Jare. And nothing’s gonna change that.”

“But you also like Evan?”

“And you also like Evan.”

“OK. So, recap. We both like each other, and we both like Evan. Wait,” Jared leans away from Connor.

“What?” When Jared doesn’t answer right away, Connor tries again. “Jared, what’s the matter?”

“If you like Evan, why’d you agree when he said to take me to the picnic?”

“He-he said he was busy that day, and I’d kinda already dug the hole with my family. The plan was to drag Evan along and maybe make out with _him_ in my car, but Jared, I wouldn’t trade that day, or anything after.” Connor pulls Jared into his lap, sighing when his face presses into Connor’s neck.

“But why me?”

“Evan said you were free. Why’d you go with me?”

“Evan said he needed a favor. If you haven’t noticed, I’d kinda walk to the ends of the Earth for him. And for you now, too.”

“I would too.” Connor’s arms tighten around Jared’s waist, and he brushes his lips across the soft hair at the edge of Jared’s hairline. “So what are we doing about this?”

“Before we figure that out, how does Evan feel about us?”

“Um … I-I don’t know how he feels about me? We’ve got kind of a rocky past, you know. And-and the rest of it really isn’t mine to tell.” Jared winces and continues. “Sorry, but I’m not gonna blab Evan’s secrets.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to. But I’ve got an idea, depending on what you think.”

“Whatcha thinking?”

“We could … if he’d be OK with it … what if, uh, whatifwedatedhimtoo?”

“Connor, babe, slow down. All I caught was some wind and a little spittle. Breathe, swallow and try it again?”

“Sorry.” Connor takes Jared’s advice and repeats himself. “What if we dated him too? Like if he’s good with it, and you’re good with it, I’m OK with dating both of you.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry, it was probably a really stupid idea. I mean, who wants to share their boyfriend? I’m fucking lucky enough that one person likes me, why can’t I just settle for that and be happy with what I have? Just forget I even said anything.” Connor keeps Jared in his lap, but leans away as much as he can without moving the other man.

“Oh! No, Connor, that’s-that’s not what I meant! Uh … I’m just … I’d love to date both of you. But I-I don’t know how Evan’s gonna feel about, um, about dating me.”  Jared presses back into Connor’s torso, seeking warmth and comfort. Connor lets him lean in now that he knows he hasn’t been scared off.

“Jared, you’re amazing. He’d be nuts not to want to date you. But that’s not a question for us, Jare. We’ll have to talk to Evan about that. Before we do that, though, I need to hear from you. If Evan’s on board, are you OK with me having two boyfriends?”

“I-I mean, wouldn’t all three of us have two boyfriends? Like wouldn’t this be a massive romantic group hug situation?”

“Ideally, but we shouldn’t push Evan if he’s not comfortable. There’s like four ways this can go: he dates both of us, he dates neither of us, he dates you or he dates me.  As long as we talk things through, I can see it working any of the four ways. Are those all situations you’d be OK with?”

“I-I guess? I’ll be disappointed if he picks you and not me, but I think I’d be fine. I really don’t know, Con.” Jared sighs deeply. “This is just such a weird situation.”

“OK, that’s perfectly fine. If you’re not OK with it later, we can talk it out then and figure out a new plan, yeah?”

“Yeah, I guess.” But he doesn’t sound sure.

“Jared, if you’re not comfortable with this, just tell me and we’ll work something out.”

“No, it’s-it’s not that. Just, what if he dates you but not me and then you realize you like him more than me? What then?”

“Jare, that won’t happen. I like you both. And as far as I’m concerned, I’ll keep liking you both as long as I have any say in the matter. If, _if_ , he doesn’t want to date both of us, but he wants to date me, which I highly doubt will happen, then I’ll have time in my life for both of you. I promise.”

“OK. That-that makes me feel a little better. Uh … how do we ask him? Just say ‘Yo, Ev, come date both of us! You wanna have two boyfriends? CAUSE WE DO!”

Connor chuckles and holds Jared a little tighter. “That’s one way to go about it, I suppose. Or, we could basically have this conversation again, but with Evan this time, and see what he thinks.”

“Yeah, that’s a better idea. Let’s do your thing.”


	8. Everything Works Out In The End

“Hey, Evan!” Connor stands up from the booth he and Jared are sitting in at A La Mode and waves when Evan walks in, looking around nervously.

“H-hi, Connor. Um … hey Jared.”

“Hey, Evan. How’s, uh, how’s it going?”

“Not, um. Not bad.” Evan fidgets with the hem of his shirt and sits down across from Connor and Jared. “Um, how-how are you guys?”

“Good. We’re um, we’re good.” Connor takes Jared’s hand under the table, out of Evan’s view, hoping to calm both of their nerves. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Um, yeah. I’ve been busy with … things. And stuff. Stuff and things.” When Jared looks at him, Evan looks like he’s praying for either death or spontaneous combustion, and it breaks his heart a little bit, honestly.

A waiter comes by and takes their orders, but he’s gone all too soon, leaving room for the uncomfortable silence to return. No one says anything until their sundaes arrive, but everyone speaks at once.

“I miss hanging out with you.”

“Evan, we need to talk.”

“Why am I here?”

“Wait. Evan, you go first.” Connor points with his spoon, then takes a bite off of Jared’s banana split.

“Why am I here? Wh-why’d you bring me on your date?”

“Because we need to talk to you.” Connor smiles at Evan, but it doesn’t do anything to help with his rising anxiety.

“Wh-what? Why? Did I—did I do something? I-I know I fought with Jared the other day, but why are you both here? What’s going on?”

“Evan, hey, take a breath, man.” Jared takes the chance to jump into the conversation. “I’m not upset about the other day; I should have thought about how you’d feel before I asked you to help me plan my anniversary date with Connor.” When Connor raises an eyebrow, Jared looks over at him. “I wanted it to be perfect, and Evan knows a lot about you.”

“Jare, it’ll be perfect no matter what. But that’s not the point. Evan,” Connor tents his fingers under his chin. “I’m gonna cut to the chase here and rip the Band-Aid off so you can stop looking like you’re going to wet your pants. I like you.”

“Oh. Uh, um, I-I like you t-too, Connor. I mean, you’re one of my best friends, but that list is pretty much just you and J-Jared, but yo-you’re half of it. And-and who doesn’t like their best friend? Th-that’d be weird, wouldn’t it?”

“Calm down, Ev. That’s not what I meant. I like you like I like Jared.” This time, Evan looks at Jared.

“I’m-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to take him away from you! I-I didn’t tell anyone! Y-you were the only one I told!”

“Dude, chill. It’s fine. Connor still likes me. He just likes you too. And so do I, for that matter. We talked about it and we’re on the same page.”

“You are? Yo-you do?” Evan blows air out of his mouth and relaxes, even if it’s only a little bit.

“Yeah. We both like you and, um … well, Connor?” Jared takes his hand again, on top of the table this time.

“Will you go out with me—with Jared—with us?”

“What?” Evan blinks owlishly.

“We both like you, Evan. We both want to date you, if you’re interested.”

“Bo-both of you?”

“If you want to, we’d really like that.”

“Like at the same time, or is this a Monday-Wednesday-Friday situation?" 

“At the same time, Ev. We’d hang out together, go on dates together, be _together_.”

“But … but three people? Is that allowed?”

“It’s our relationship, so we can do whatever we want to, as long as everyone’s OK with it.”

“Um … uh … OK. I think? Uh, my turn to talk?”

“Go for it, Ev. What’s on your mind?” Jared plucks the cherry off his sundae and smirks.

“I-I-I like you too? Uh, both of you? Like-like to date? Um … yeah.” He nods once, decisively, before turning his attention back to the melting hot fudge sundae in front of him. He’s looking down when Connor and Jared grin at each other, but notices when they both look back to their own treats. “Wa-was … that was the question, right?”

“Yeah, Ev.” Jared grins at him. “That was the question, and I, for one, am thrilled with your answer, if not a little shocked. Connor?”

“You-you said yes.”

“He said yes, Connor.”

“You like me. You like _us_. Really?”

“Yeah, Connor. I really do like you both. Um, for a really long time, actually. Like embarrassingly long.”

“Evan,” Connor’s smile slides into more of a smirk. “How long have you liked us?”

“Since, um, well. I’ve uh, I’ve liked you, Connor, since sophomore year. And I-I didn’t know I liked Jared until you guys started dating and I was—I was kinda jealous. But I think I starting feeling things about him in like the ninth grade? Wh-what about you two?”

“Well, you already know we got into each other at my family’s picnic. Funny story, actually, I asked you to go with me so I could get the balls to ask you on a real date. But I guess this really worked out.” Connor chuckles and rests the hand not in Jared’s grasp on the table, a clear invitation that Evan doesn’t take. “Anyway, I think I’ve liked you since junior year? Around there, maybe, but I didn’t try to do anything about it until you showed up with that broken arm at the start of last year.”

“Seventh grade.” Jared groans and buries his head in the crook of his arm.

“What?”

“I’ve liked him since _seventh grade_.”

“But we-we were just family friends then?”

“Because I didn’t want to be in love with my _best_ friend. How was 15-year-old, boner-for-no-reason Jared supposed to be _close_ to the person he likes, when he thinks that person is straight and his best friend’s mother’s son?”

“I-I don’t know?” Evan looks genuinely confused, and he’s incredibly grateful when Connor intervenes.

“Jeez. OK, Jared wins. But that doesn’t matter now. The important thing is that we’re all here now and ready to give this a try?” He looks between the other boys, both nodding as they listen to him.

“Um … how?” All at once, Evan realizes that he’s never had a boyfriend before, never mind two at the same time, and the idea is more than a little overwhelming.

“We talk. About everything. If someone feels left out, or unheard or unhappy for any reason, we talk about it. No judgement, no interruptions. We hear each other out and solve our problems, even if they don’t feel that big. And we ask questions, when we have them.”

“O-OK. Should we have some … rules?”

“Like what?” Jared lifts an eyebrow expectantly and runs his thumb across the back of Connor’s hand.

“Like do we only hang out all together or can we hang out as two instead? And-and what if someone feels left out? Or doesn’t like a date idea or something?”

“Then like I said, we talk about it. I don’t care if you guys have your own thing or hang out sometimes, as long as we also do stuff together. What about you two?”

“I’m good with that. Maybe once a week, at least, we hang out all three of us? Obviously more, if we can, but with school, and family, and I’m gonna try to get a job so I don’t have to go to camp again next summer. And if we can’t find time every week, can we fit it in elsewhere? Forced date night sucks, especially if we’re not all into it. What about that?” Jared leans against Connor’s shoulder and rests his leg against Evan’s under the table.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Um … what … what are we telling people?”

“Jeez, Evan, always with the questions.” Jared tips his head back and laughs while Evan blushes bright red. “It’s cute, though, really. And I don’t know, what do you guys think?"

“Other than my parents and Zoe, I don’t know who I’d need to tell. It’s not like my social life is, well, existent. But what about the truth? We’re dating each other because we like each other." 

“Ye-yeah, OK. I don’t want to lie to my m-mom anyway. And Alana asks too many questions; I always end up telling her things I don’t mean to. Jared?”

“The truth sounds good. Why should we have to lie about our lives just to fit in? It’s not like any of us do that anyway.” When Jared rolls his eyes, all three of them laugh and Evan takes advantage of the distraction so he can slide his hand into Connor’s and squeeze lightly.

“So, recap.” Connor squeezes Evan’s hand back. “We’re all dating each other, and we’re telling people the truth about that? And if anyone has any  concerns at any point, we’re talking about it like adults?”

 When Jared and Evan nod and agree, Connor squeezes both of their hands in his own.

 “Good. I feel like I should have something deep to say here, but all I’m coming up with is ‘let’s do this’, so …

 Let’s do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. I've got a few more ideas planned for this 'verse, but no word on when they'll be up. I'm getting ready to go back to school, which seriously cuts into my writing time, but hopefully I'll have something else up before too long. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Ya'll's comments have actually made my week, so feel free to keep that coming!  
> xoxo


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